The veena, sitar, tanpura, guitar and violin are all examples of:

Explanation

The veena, sitar, tanpura, guitar and violin all produce sound through vibrating strings. They are therefore string instruments, called "tata vadya" in the traditional Indian system of classifying musical instruments.

String instruments can be played in different ways. Some are plucked, such as the veena, sitar, sarod, tanpura and guitar. Some are bowed, such as the violin, sarangi and esraj. Some are struck with small hammers or sticks, such as the santoor. The sound of the vibrating strings is made louder and richer by a hollow body (resonator), such as the gourd of the sitar and veena or the wooden body of the violin and guitar. Many Indian string instruments also have sympathetic strings, which are not played directly but vibrate along with the main strings and give the instrument a ringing sound.

The tanpura (or tambura) is a special string instrument. It does not play a melody, but provides a continuous drone, the background of the tonic note (Sa), which helps the singer or player stay in tune. It is used in both Hindustani and Carnatic music.

The Natya Shastra, the ancient text on drama, music and dance attributed to Bharata Muni, classifies musical instruments into four groups:

Tata vadya: string instruments, such as the veena and sitar.

Sushira vadya: wind instruments, such as the flute, shehnai and nadaswaram.

Avanaddha vadya: instruments with skin stretched over a frame or body, such as the tabla, mridangam and dholak.

Ghana vadya: solid instruments that are struck, such as cymbals, the ghatam and bells.

This system is similar to the modern Western classification of chordophones, aerophones, membranophones and idiophones.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Wind instruments (sushira vadya) include the flute and shehnai.
• ✗Percussion instruments with skin (avanaddha vadya) include the tabla and mridangam.
• ✗Solid instruments (ghana vadya) include cymbals and the ghatam.